Category Archives: school

Shut It Down

So I had planned to shut down this blog but I can’t figure out how to print it all and I don’t want to lose everything which brings me to–I guess I better get writing to justify its existence.

I’ll start by writing about something that brings me great joy–reading. Not mine, but my girls’.

I love to read. My mother loves to read. My grandmother loved to read. I always assumed my daughters would love to read…alas, it did not seem that was going to be the case. Once, my mother even yelled across a family, “didn’t you think you would raise at least ONE reader?” I felt this criticism deeply and was so embarrassed I had not…, particularly as a homeschooler. But alas, Caitlyn only loved to read to learn things, i.e. Pinterest or other websites. Sue loved Graphic Novels and Patrice, well, she saw reading as an extension of school and was not a big fan. I, as a book snob, did not see graphic novels, or even audiobooks, as real reading thus I was left with no readers.

Then, last summer, something changed, Caitlyn decided to volunteer at the local library. She goes every Thursday afternoon for two hours.

Caitlyn helping at the library fair last summer

I hoped, but thought it was ridiculous to consider, that she would fall in love with reading somehow while she was at the library…AND SHE DID! She discovered there were a lot more books out there than what mommy had chosen over the years.

Now, in my defense, she has chosen some of the genre I used to buy for her but they are a little more grown-up than I chose. But now she reads lots of things. Authors and titles I never would have thoughts. She and her friends give books as gifts and hang out at bookstores! I am still thrilled and in awe. I am sure I make her crazy because I keep commenting on it. I try not to but…I try.

Another thing happened that has helped my perspective–a year or so ago, maybe longer, I discovered audiobooks. I just don’t have all the time to read that I would like but with an audiobook I can run and “read”–it is wonderful. And this past summer, I discovered graphic novels! I thought they were just that, novels–basically comic books, but turns out you can find biographies, history, all sorts of things–I have two on hold at the library right now–which makes me a lot more accepting of what Sue, and sometimes Patrice, like to read.

I guess mom’s can use an education and an attitude adjustment!

Don’t mind me, I’m just over here giddy as I see my kids reading all different genres and formats!

All That Falls

I found a project on Pinterest and we actually did it!!!

2016-10-04 16.00.14 2016-10-04 16.00.27 2016-10-04 16.00.37 2016-10-04 16.06.51 2016-10-04 16.07.01 2016-10-04 16.07.09 2016-10-04 16.07.22 2016-10-05 10.00.04 2016-10-05 10.00.11 2016-10-05 10.00.20

We painted q-tip fall trees 🙂

 

Getting Ready for School

This  year I have two, count them two, headed off to school.  Sue will be joining Caitlyn at her elementary school.

Unfortunately Sue is not yet exctied.  She is going to do so well.  Really.

Thankfully we have lots of hand-me-downs for both of the girls, so we don’t have to do a lot of school shopping–clothing wise, but wow, the actual school supply list is crazy.

Between the two of them, not including what I have already purachased, I still need:

  • 2 reams of paper
  • 3 boxes of kleenex
  • 2 boxes of snack bags
  • 1 box freezer bags
  • 2 boxes baby wipes
  • 2 rolls of paper towel
  • 4 large containers anti-bacterial wipes
  • 1 mini memo pad
  • 1 large eraser
  • 3 black dry erase markers
  • 1 yellow highlighter
  • 4 2-pocket folders
  • 2 spiral notebooks
  • 3×5 index cards
  • 1 bag of cotton balls
  • 1 pencil box

 At first I was just frustrated with all I had to buy, but lately I have gotten sad about it.  Sad that we are purchasing things that used to be provided.  Sad that things have gotten so tight financially for the classes that they need us to buy the wipes to clean the tables.  Sad that if we didn’t buy these things then the teacher would have to.  It is just sad.

What thing has recently struck you as sad?  What just pulls at  your heart?

A Whole New Realm–Homework

As I mentioned, our oldest, Caitlyn started kindergarten this year.  That has brought lots of new things.  This weekend it brought…homework.

The teacher provided brown and green construction paper for us to make a family tree.  Daddy commented, when he saw the information for the project, Caitlyn, you have a big family, your tree will be very full.  Our girls have lots of aunts and uncles and cousins.  Lots.

But we had limited room.  The base of the tree was tracing her arm from elbow, up and around her open fingers to make the limbs.  We did that, then I sent her out to get a leaf we could use to trace to make ours.



I think the ones we made look like oversized sperm, but the jury was split on this.



I had Caitlyn help me with tracing and cutting.  She did not do all of it, but she did at least half.  I wrote the family names on the leaves. (I only went to the aunt and uncle level) She did all the gluing, and loved it.   And we talked about who was on each leaf, as she will have to present about it at school this week.

The whole time I stressed.  Was I having her do enough?  Too much?  Should we make it fancier? 

And I sent this tweet part way through:

“I am headed down a slippery slope. I’m looking at daughter’s homework and realizing it is not going to be as good as the work other ppl do.”

I was, sadly, not clear in what I was trying to communicate.  My doubts and struggles are not with her work.  I know she definitely at, if not above, her grade level in her arts and crafts skills.  My concern was with me.  Was I having her do enought, too much?  Would other parents do more of the work so she would feel like hers was not as good? 

Honestly, I still don’t know.  Hubby had some questions about it today when he saw it.  He’s concerned she might not be able to talk about it.  This could completely stress me out.  I want to help Caitlyn get off on the right foot.  I want to do this parent-of-a-school-age child gig, perfectly, but I don’t know what that is, so we will all have to learn together.  And in the learning, we will Just Be Enough.

I am linking this post with Just Be Enough.